However, the epicurean in me never strayed away from consuming food within my religious beliefs.
Therefore, as a 'syariah-compliant' foodie, I double and triple check the 'halal-ity' of my food before indulging in it.
READ: Religious respect is a two-way street
So, imagine my bemusement when someone claims that 'pork-free' signs outside restaurants may confuse Muslims into thinking that the food served there is 'halal'.
Excuse me sir, I believe the Malaysian Muslim community knows what pork free means.
I, for one, have been contemplating this issue ever since I laid my eyes on a scrumptious looking walnut brittle caramel waffle on the menu of a cafe in George Town a few years back.
Having a penchant for desserts, I gathered a few friends before heading to that cafe which oddly to me at that time, hung out a pork-free sign.
"Wait a minute," said my fellow Muslim friend.
"Check out the menu."
After scrutinising the simple two-page menu, we found that the cafe served mostly desserts, coffee and several breakfast items which include eggs, sausages as well as beef strips.
So, I asked the owner who was waiting on us, why did she not apply for proper halal status?
"Oh, we serve the Alaskan Bombe (an alcohol-infused dessert). So, we can't get the Halal certification," she answered.
"But the sausages and beef strips were sourced from local vendors?" I asked.
"Yes. Everything is bought from the local Halal grocery," she assured.
I then asked if a separate pan was used to prepare the alcohol-infused dessert, to which she said yes.
Of course, I did not probe further because I was satisfied with her answers.
So, do I sound like a confused Muslim? I would like to think not.
If I am satisfied with the restaurant's operators answers I will dine there. If not, I won't. It is a matter of choice.
I do not believe that restaurant operators would want to deliberately confuse Muslim patrons. Neither do I believe that there is any malice in their actions.
Anyone who says otherwise does so at the risk of displaying how parochial they are in approaching this subject.
In our multi-racial society, I believe the 'burden' of making sure the food we eat is halal rests on our shoulders, not the restaurant operators.
Of course, if the religious authorities think otherwise, they are welcome to check each and every restaurant in Malaysia and release their findings to us!
With an increasing waistline, Hafiz aims to cut down on his favourite foods in the months ahead. But fellow foodies are welcome to share their two sen, ringgit or anything else with him at [email protected]
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's and do not necessarily reflect the view of Astro AWANI.
